[4K] Spitfire F Mk 21 LA198, 1947 (for Spitfire XIV)

March 29, 2023

Spitfire F Mk 21 LA198 of No. 602 Squadron RauxAF, RAF Abbotsinch 1947

Built at Castle Bromwich in 1944, LA198 was the 12th F Mk 21 Spitfire of a total production of 120. Being posted initially in April 1945 to No. 1 Squadron at RAF Coltishall, shee later served with No. 602 (City of Glasgow) Squadron RauxAF between 1947 and 1949, competing in various air races before a crash landing rendered her unfit for flight. Thereafter she was used in the 1969 production Battle of Britain, in a static role, before seeing decades of use as a gate guardian at RAF Locking. In the 90s she was formally gifted to City of Glasgow council, being restored to static condition at the National Museum of Flight in East Fortune near Edinburgh, going on temporary display at the former Museum of Transport in Glasgow. Here she would spend two years whilst her permanent home, the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (directly across the street), itself was undergoing restoration, finally reopening for display in 2006. She is one of three surviving F Mk 21s, the other two being LA226 and LA255, having also served as gate guardians.

Spoiler

Seeing as the fuselages are broadly the same between the XIV and 21, the former serves as a workable stand-in; especially when the E wing is used.

I used the official Mk XIV template, though I fixed and shifted around the incorrectly proportioned roundels, amongst some changes to the colours which I feel look a bit more accurate. I recommend you use the Mirror, E wing, GGS and 150 octane modifications to best represent the F Mk 21.